171st Air Refueling Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 171st Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard
, flying the KC-135T Stratotanker. Its parent unit is the 127th Wing
.
fighter squadron, trained under I Fighter Command
in the mid-Atlantic states. Also flew air-defense missions as part of the Philadelphia Fighter Wing
. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations
(ETO), being assigned to VIII Fighter Command
in England
, November 1943.
The unit served primarily as an escort organization, covering the penetration, attack, and withdrawal of B-17/B-24 bomber formations that the USAAF sent against targets on the Continent. The squadron also engaged in counter-air patrols, fighter sweeps, and strafing and dive-bombing missions. Attacked such targets as airdromes, marshalling yards, missile sites, industrial areas, ordnance depots, oil refineries, trains, and highways. During its operations, the unit participated in the assault against the Luftwaffe
and aircraft industry during the Big Week
, February 20–25, 1944, and the attack on transportation facilities prior to the Normandy invasion
and support of the invasion forces thereafter, including the Saint-Lô
breakthrough in July.
The squadron supported the airborne attack on Holland in September 1944 and deployed to Chievres Airdrome, (ALG A-84), Belgium between February and April 1945 flying tactical ground support missions during the airborne assault across the Rhine. The unit returned to Little Walden and flew its last combat mission on April 20, 1945. Demobilized during the summer of 1945 in England, inactivated in the United States as a paper unit in October.
on May 24, 1946. The unit was ordered into active service on February 1, 1951 as a result of the Korean War
and assigned to Air Training Command
. In March 1951 being assigned F-51 Mustangs, F-80 Shooting Stars and F-84 Thunderjets while serving as a training organization.
The unit was relieved from active duty in November 1952, was redesignated as a Fighter-Bomber squadron. Mission aircraft were F-51H, F-86E and F-89C. Redesignated at Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in 1958. The squadron flew RF-84F's. Moving to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in 1971, converted to RF-101's.
In 1973, he 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron came under the Air Defense Command, flying F-106's. Established at Selfridge ANG Base on 1 April 1996, the 171st Air Refueling Squadron which flies the KC-135T Stratotanker .
Michigan Air National Guard
The Michigan Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is, along with the Michigan Army National Guard, an element of the Michigan National Guard...
, flying the KC-135T Stratotanker. Its parent unit is the 127th Wing
127th Wing
The United States Air Force's 127th Wing is a fighter and air refueling unit located at Selfridge ANGB, Michigan. It is part of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command's First Air Force.-Mission:...
.
World War II
Established in early-1943 as a P-47 ThunderboltP-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
fighter squadron, trained under I Fighter Command
I Fighter Command
The I Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Mitchel Army Airfield, New York...
in the mid-Atlantic states. Also flew air-defense missions as part of the Philadelphia Fighter Wing
Philadelphia Fighter Wing
The Philadelphia Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the I Fighter Command, stationed at Philadelphia Airport, Pennsylvania It was inactivated on 3 April 1946....
. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO), being assigned to VIII Fighter Command
VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, November 1943.
The unit served primarily as an escort organization, covering the penetration, attack, and withdrawal of B-17/B-24 bomber formations that the USAAF sent against targets on the Continent. The squadron also engaged in counter-air patrols, fighter sweeps, and strafing and dive-bombing missions. Attacked such targets as airdromes, marshalling yards, missile sites, industrial areas, ordnance depots, oil refineries, trains, and highways. During its operations, the unit participated in the assault against the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
and aircraft industry during the Big Week
Big Week
Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by...
, February 20–25, 1944, and the attack on transportation facilities prior to the Normandy invasion
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
and support of the invasion forces thereafter, including the Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
breakthrough in July.
The squadron supported the airborne attack on Holland in September 1944 and deployed to Chievres Airdrome, (ALG A-84), Belgium between February and April 1945 flying tactical ground support missions during the airborne assault across the Rhine. The unit returned to Little Walden and flew its last combat mission on April 20, 1945. Demobilized during the summer of 1945 in England, inactivated in the United States as a paper unit in October.
Michigan Air National Guard
Allocated to the Michigan Air National GuardMichigan Air National Guard
The Michigan Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is, along with the Michigan Army National Guard, an element of the Michigan National Guard...
on May 24, 1946. The unit was ordered into active service on February 1, 1951 as a result of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and assigned to Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
. In March 1951 being assigned F-51 Mustangs, F-80 Shooting Stars and F-84 Thunderjets while serving as a training organization.
The unit was relieved from active duty in November 1952, was redesignated as a Fighter-Bomber squadron. Mission aircraft were F-51H, F-86E and F-89C. Redesignated at Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in 1958. The squadron flew RF-84F's. Moving to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in 1971, converted to RF-101's.
In 1973, he 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron came under the Air Defense Command, flying F-106's. Established at Selfridge ANG Base on 1 April 1996, the 171st Air Refueling Squadron which flies the KC-135T Stratotanker .
Lineage
- Constituted 374th Fighter Squadron on 28 January 1942
- Activated on 10 February 1943
- Inactivated on 24 October 1945
- Redesignated 171st Fighter Squadron, and allotted to the Michigan Air National GuardMichigan Air National GuardThe Michigan Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is, along with the Michigan Army National Guard, an element of the Michigan National Guard...
, 24 May 1946
- Redesignated 171st Fighter Squadron, and allotted to the Michigan Air National Guard
- Federally recognized, 171st Fighter Squadron (Single Engine), 25 April 1948
- Redesignated 171st Fighter Squadron (Jet), 23 February 1950
- Redesignated 171st Training Squadron, 5 March 1951
- Redesignated 171st Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1 November 1952
- Redesignated 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, November, 1953
- Redesignated 171st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 1958
- Redesignated 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 22 July 1972
- Redesignated 171st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1 Sep 1978
- Redesignated 171st Fighter Squadron, 15 March 1992
- Redesignated 171st Airlift Squadron, 15 July 1994
- Redesignated 171st Air Refueling Squadron, 1 April 2008.
Assignments
- 361st Fighter Group361st Fighter GroupThe 361st Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the European Theatre of World War II....
, 10 February 1943 – 24 October 1945 - 127th Fighter Group, 25 April 1948
- Activated to Federal Service, 23 Feb 1951-11 Sep 1952
- 191st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 October 1962- 15 March 1992
- Redesignated: 191st Fighter Group, 15 March 1992-15 July 1994
- Redesignated: 191st Airlift Group, 15 July 1994 – 1 April 1996
- 127th Airlift Group, 8 November 1998 - 1 April 2008
- Redesignated: 127th Air Refueling Group, 1 April 2008–Present
Stations
- Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 10 February 1943
- Camp Springs Army Airfield, Maryland, 26 May 1943
- Millville Army Airfield, New Jersey, 15 August 1943
- Camp Springs Army Airfield, Maryland, 18 September 1943
- Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 30 September – 11 November 1943
- RAF BottishamRAF BottishamRAF Bottisham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Cambridge, S of Bottisham village in Cambridgeshire.- RAF Fighter Command use:...
(AAF-374), England, 30 November 1943 - RAF Little WaldenRAF Little WaldenRAF Station Little Walden is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Saffron Walden; about north-northeast of London...
(AAF-165), England, ca. 28 September 1944
- Operated from St-Dizier Airfield (A-64), France, 23 December 1944 – 1 February 1945
- Chievres AirdromeChièvres Air BaseChièvres Air Base is a United States Air Force airfield located in the Belgian town of Chièvres and about 12 miles from Headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe , in Casteau. It is mainly used to provide logistic support to NATO and SHAPE...
(A-84), Belgium, 1 February 1945 - RAF Little WaldenRAF Little WaldenRAF Station Little Walden is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Saffron Walden; about north-northeast of London...
(AAF-165), England, 7 April – ca. 11 October 1945 - Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New Jersey, 23–24 October 1945 - Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
, Michigan, 25 April 1948 - Luke Air Force BaseLuke Air Force BaseLuke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about west of Phoenix, Arizona....
, Arizona, 23 February 1951 - Detroit-Wayne Major AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
, Michigan, 11 September 1952 - Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, July 1971–Present
Aircraft
- P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
, 1943–1944 - P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 1944–1950 - F-84 Thunderjet, 1950–1952
- F-51H MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 1952–1953 - F-86E SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 1953–1955 - F-89C ScorpionF-89 ScorpionThe Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an early American jet-powered fighter designed from the outset as an all-weather interceptor. Though its straight wings limited its performance, it was among the first USAF jet fighters with guided missiles, and notably the first combat aircraft armed with air-to-air...
, 1955–1958 - RF-84F Thunderflash, 1958–1971
- RF-101A/C VoodooF-101 VoodooThe McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
, 1971–1972 - F-106A/B Delta Dart (1972–1978)
- F-4C Phantom II (1978–1988)
- F-4D Phantom II (1988–1991)
- F-16A/B Block 15 Fighting Falcon (1991–1995)
- C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
(1995–2007) - KC-135T Stratotanker (2007–Present)